Automatic toothpick and match picker



F. HILLE.

AUTOMATIC TOOTHPICK AND MATCH PICKER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 31, 1919.

1,361 57 Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

IN VENT0R A 7' TORNE Y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. A

FRANK I-IILLE, OF LONG ISLAND CITE, NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC TOOTI-IPICK AND MATCH PICKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 14. 19.20.

Application filed May 31, 1919. Serial No. 300,926.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK Hnmic, a citizen of the United States and resident of Long island City, in the county of, Queens and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Toothpick and llfatch Pickers, of

My invention applies equally well to tooth-.

-pick receptacles and the like, but I shall limit myself in the description below to the aforementioned com bination device.

One object of my invention is to provide such a device that is both compact in construction and neat in appearance, the mechanism thereof being concealed from view.

Another object is to provide such a device which is at the same time simple in operation and inexpensive in cost of manufacture. These and other objects will become apparent from the description below, in which characters of reference refer to like-named parts on the drawings.

Figure 1 is a side view showing the general outside appearance of my device.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same showing the interior thereof.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the same showing a modified form of mechanism in the interior thereof.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 1 represents the supporting base of my device, which is partly hollow, as shown, to allow concealment of the operating mechanism therein. At one end of said base is mounted, rigid thereto, an element 2 similar in appearance to a branch of a tree. Rigid to the latter and extending upward therefrom, is a frame in the form of the legs of a bird, a pin or shaft 4 connecting the same at their upper extremities. The body 5 of a bird is mounted pivotally on said shaft so that the greater portion of its weight rests rearward of said shaft. A boss 6 is mounted rigid to the under side of said body.

Directly under said boss a rod 7 is mounted vertically slidable through a hole in the top of said frame; normally the upper part of said rod supports said body 5, said boss 6 resting thereon. A collar 13 rigid to said rod limits its downward travel. Said hole is slightly greater in diameter than said rod so as to permit a small amount of lateral movement, A spread V-shaped lever is pivoted at or near its center 9 in said frame; one end of said lever is pivotally linked at 15 to the lower extremity of the rod 7. A short rod 10 is vertically slidably mounted in said frame, a button or boss 11 being provided at the top thereof. The lower end of said rod 10 is mounted on a loose pivot to the other end of said V-shaped lever. A match receptacle or groove 12 is transversely cut or mounted in the top of said frame; it is in order to pass under said receptacle that the lever S is V-shaped. A spring 14: is secured in the bottom of said frame 1 and pivot 15, normally retaining said rod 7 in its lowermost position. 7

It is now apparent that upon quick, erky, or impulsive depression of said button 11, rod 7 will rise and give an impulse to the rear portion of said body and cause the same, by its momentum, to topple forward until its beak, which is equipped with one or more sharp pins or the like 16, strikes a match in the receptacle 12. The body then rests for an instant. after which it is returned (since the weight of the same rearward of the shaft 4 exceeds that forward thereof) to its upright restive position on the rod '7. Said rod was previously withdrawn to its lowermost position by the spring 1e, and the button 11 raised again for the next operation. The beak 16 has meanwhile picked up a match, which it now holds for removal by the user.

In order to provide a completely equipped device for the comfort of the smoker, an ash tray 17 and cigar holders 18 are mounted integral with said frame 1.

A modification of my invention is shown in Fig. 3, in which the rod 19 is rigid to the body 5 and projects through a hole in the top of the frame, resting upon a cam 20 rigid to the wheel or roller 22 pivotally mounted transversely in said frame 1. Near one end of said roller 22 a lever 21 projects substantially horizontally therefrom. Said lever is cupped at its end to receive the end of the rod 11. A spring 25 secured in the casing normally holds the cam 20 in a substantially horizontal position. When the button 11 is depressed, the cam 20 will be rotated clockwise, thus raising rod 19 and tipping the figure 5 so that it picks a match or the like from the tray 12.

Of course my invention may readily be applied to pick toothpicks from a receptacle as well as matches, and any figure other than the bird shown may be used, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

A device of the class described comprising a hollow base, a receptacle therein for containing matches or the like, a shaft pivotally mounted at one end of said base adjacent said receptacle, a figure mounted on said shaft, said figure having legs rigid to said shaft, said figure having pivotal con nection with said legs, pointed prongs protruding from said figure, a boss vertically,

slidably mounted in said base and under said figure, a vertical rod integral with said boss and extending downward, a simple lever having pivotal support in said base, a second vertical rod vertically slidable in said base and having its upper end extending above the same, a button on said upper end, said first-named vertical rod having pivotal connection with one end of said lever, said second-named rod having pivotal connection with the other end of said lever, and spring means attached to said first-named vertical rod to urge the same downward.

Signed at Long Island City, in the county of Queens and State of New York this 26th day of May A. D. 1919.

' FRANK HILLE. 

